Universal shaft-coupling.



A. LOOMIS.

UNIVERSAL SHAFT COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7. 190a.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

mum

wwmaoo ao g troit, Michigan, useful Improvements in Universal Shafttical in construction. A, B, are each pivotally connected with an ALLEN noolvrrs, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

PACKARDMOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ewes.

Assronon, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF UNIVERSAL SHAFT-COUPLING.

Patented Apr. 11,1916.

Application filed March 7, 1908. Serial N 0. 419,741.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN LooMIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dein the county of Wayne and State of have invented certain new and Couplings, of which fication. I

This invention relates to universal joints for shafting such as are adapted to communicate rotary movement from one section of a shaft to another whether the same be in line, or in parallel lines and offset, or at an angle to each other. The invention is particularlyadapted for cases in which it may be desirable to disconnect the shaft sections at the coupling, the present coupling being adapted to be disconnected and reconnected instantly without loosening screws, bolts or other connecting means.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which, I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of two shaft sections connected by my improved .cou-

pling, one of the sections being connected the following is a speciwith a magneto to illustrate oneof the uses of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the coupling, one of the parts being de tachrd; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of I igl' 1 Fig. i is an end view of the com-- pling section shown at the right in Fig. 2; Fig. IS a detailv of a reverse or modified form.

:lleferring to the drawing, 1, 2, indicate the shaft sections which are to be united by the coupling, section 1 being illustrated as the driving section, having a driving pinion 3 thereon. and the section 2 being illustrated as the driven section and forming the shaft of a magneto 4, such as is used for generating current for the ignition apparatus of a motor vehicle. ()u the shaft 1 is a coupling a similar coupling section B which sections may be iden- The coupling sections intermediate section C as will be presently described.

. Each of the in the form of openings of each sections A, B, as illustrated, has a hub 5, a short arm 6 and a longer arm 7. Upon the shorter arm 6- is an outwardly prO ecting pin or pivot 8 and upon the longer arm 7 is an inwardly projecting pin or pivot 9, which pivots are arranged in a diametrical line passing through the axial line of the-shaft section to which the coupling member is connected.

' The intermediate coupling member 0 is a frame having two pairs of radial openings 10, 11, to receive the pivots 8, 9, of the members A, B. These Openings are all radial to a common center and the pair are in line with each other. The surface of the frame or member 0 is faced off adjacent to" the openings to pivot pins of each of the sections A, B, is I to facilitate as-- made longer than the other sembling the coupling, as it is easier to insert one pin at a time than the two simultaneously.

The invention is illustrated as a convenient means of connecting the-driving shaft with a magneto shaft to void' the necessity of correctly alining the two shafts. shown in Fig. 3 the driving and driven shafts are offset axially and one of the valuable features of the invention is that it permits of operatively connecting shafts which are so offset though arranged in parallel lines. It is usually a simple matterto arrange shafts in parallel bearings but often difficult to adjust them into coaxial position.

By the use of the present invention shafts The parts are so proportioned that when as- This results sembled the faces 12 and 13 are separated from the adjacent arms of the members A and B by gaps 14 sufficient to permit the required relative radial movement of the memher C. ject of my invention, which is to secure thebers Aand B with respect to the member. C.

If it be desired to remove the magneto the" connect the member B from-the member C,

leaving the member C upon the member A. By reversing these movements the magneto may be again connected with the driving shaft 1.

It will be evident that the construction of this universal joint may be reversed by 0011- v necting the pivot pins to the member C and maxing pivotal openings in the arms 6 and 7 suitable to receive the pins. This change is illustrated in Fig. 5 which shows one of the arms 7 provided with an eye to receive the pin 9 carried by the intermediate mem- It' will also be evident that 'one obready connections and disconnection of two shaft members united by a umversal oint,

may be effected if only one of the members A, B, is readily disconnectible from the intermediate member C. In some instances it may be desirable to permanentlyconnect the membersA. C, and simply make the member B disconnectible. For the sake of Y economy, however, it is preferred to make the members A B, identical so that they can be cast in the same mold and subjected to the same machine operations. It will also be evident that in so far as the connection of parallel of'lset shafts is concerned, it is not absolutely necessary that the several parts of the coupling should be readily separable The form of coupling shown in the drawing, however, embodies all of the features of utility referred to and is the preferred embodiment of the invention.

' \Vithout limiting myself to the particular construction illustrated and described, I claim,

1. A universal joint comprising two shaft members adapted to be connected with two shaftsections respectively, an intermediate member, and pivotal connections between said shaft members and said intermediate,

member. a portion of said intermediate member lying between the pivotal portions of one ofsaid shaft members, and the opposite portion of said intermediate member being exterior of said shaft member, whereby the shaft members are adapted to be disconnected from the intern'iediate member by being moved. transversely of their axes;

2. A universal joint comprising two shaft members adapted to be connected with two shaft sections, respectively, and an inter- '1 mediate'member, said shaft meml ers each having radiallyprojecting arms, provided with separate radially-arranged pivots connecting said arms and said intermedlate member, one of the arms of one shaft member beingarranged interiorly of said intermediate member and the other of said arms being arranged .exteriorlyof said intermediate member, whereby said shaft member may be disconnected from the intermediate member by a lateral movement in the direction of the axes of its pivots and without removing the pivots from the arms.

3. A universal joint comprising two shaft members adapted to be connected with two shaft sections respectively and aninter- 'mediate member, said shaft members each having radially projecting armsfprovided with separate radially-arranged pivots connecting said arms and said intermediate member, one of the arms of each of said shaft members being arranged interiorly of said intermediate member and the other of said arms being arranged exteriorly of said intermediatemember, whereby either of-said shaft members may be disconnected from the intermediate memberby a lateral movement in the direction of the axes of its pivots and without removing the pivots from the arms.

4. A universal shaft coupling comprising two shaft members and an intermediate member to which said shaft members are pivotally connected, one of said shaft mem-' bers having a short arm extending into the intermediate member and a long arm bearing upon the outer surface of the intermediate member, and pivot pins connecting the intermediate member and said arms and extending in the same direction from their support, whereby the parts maybe separated by a radial movement.

5. A universal shaft coupling comprising two shaft members, :each provided with a short arm and a long arm, and an intermediate member, the short arms of the shaft members extending into the intermediate member and the longer arms cooperating with the outer surface of theintermediate member, and separate pivot pins connecting the said arms with said intermediate member, whereby either of the shaft members may be disconnected from the intermediate member by alateral movement in the direction 'of the axes of its pivot pins and 1thout removing the pivot pins from the arms.

6. A universal shaft coupling comprising two shaft members each provided with and extending in the same direction from in presence of two witnesses.

and With a shorter and a longerar-in, pivot pivets and disengaged from said interme pins carried by the arms' 0 f'each shaft'secdiete member. n 10 .tionia-rranged in the. same diametrical line In testimony whereof I aflix my signature said arms and an intermediate member hav- 7 hing four openings to receive said pivot pins, v Witnesses:

whereby the shaft members are adapted to L.,G. TENYNEY, be moved in the direction of the axes offineir C. I. DALE.-

' ALLEN LOOMIS. 

